Electronic queuing systems and methods

Abstract

The present disclosure describes methods and systems of allowing entities to create virtual queues that correspond to actual queue in an electronic queue-managing system, and allowing individuals to join the virtual queues using electronic devices (e.g., cell phone technology, wireless network communication technology). The queue-managing system updates the virtual queues based on information from an entity. The queue-managing system also sends messages and notifications of updated status of the virtual queues to the user periodically, automatically or in response to the user's request.

1 - 59 . (canceled) 
     
     
         60 . A method for managing dynamic appointments, comprising:
 establishing one or more virtual appointments on an electronic appointments-managing system, the one or more virtual appointments adapted to correspond to one or more actual appointments; and   establishing a bi-directional communication means with a first group of individuals who want to make, have made, or have canceled the one or more virtual appointments,   wherein if an individual from the first group has requested an appointment at a specific date and time of service, the electronic appointments-managing system integrates the specific date and time of service in the one or more virtual appointments, whereby the individual from the first group is summoned in the one or more virtual appointments at or after the specific date and time, and wherein if a delay occurs related to the appointment, other individuals with an appointment are automatically notified of a change in the specific date and time of service.   
     
     
         61 . The method of  claim 60 , further comprising:
 establishing one or more virtual queues on an electronic queue-managing system, the one or more virtual queues adapted to correspond to one or more actual queues; and   establishing a bi-directional communication means with a second group of individuals who want to enter, have entered, or have left the one or more virtual queues,   wherein the electronic queue-managing system integrates the specific date and time of service of appointments of individuals of the first group in the one or more virtual queues, thereby obtaining virtual queues comprising individuals from the first and second groups, whereby the individual from the first group is summoned first in the one or more virtual queues at or after the specific date and time.   
     
     
         62 . The method of  claim 61 , wherein, on a given time period, a number of individuals in the second group who are allowed to join the queue is a function of a number of individuals in the first group, and/or a number of appointments allowed in the given time period depends on a number of individuals in the second group already in a queue and a number of individuals in the first group who already have an appointment for a same resource or service. 
     
     
         63 . The method of  claim 61 , further comprising updating the virtual queues according to information received from the first or second group of individuals, wherein the updating comprises adjusting a position of a given individual of the first or second group, if the given individual is delayed or unavailable. 
     
     
         64 . The method of  claim 61 , wherein the updating comprises
 if the one or more virtual queues are delayed due to delays by a service provider, the electronic queue-managing system automatically adjusts the one or more virtual queues and notifies at least one individual of the first or second group of individuals.   
     
     
         65 . A method for managing virtual queues adapted to correspond to actual queues, comprising:
 establishing a plurality of virtual queues on an electronic queue-managing system, the virtual queues adapted to correspond to actual queues;   establishing a bi-directional communication means with an individual who wants to enter, has entered, or has left the plurality of virtual queues;   establishing a bi-directional electronic communication between the electronic queue-managing system and an entity that manages or provides one or more actual queues according to status of the virtual queues; and   updating the virtual queues according to information received from the individual and information from the entity, wherein the electronic queue-managing system is further adapted to send advertisement messages to the individual, the advertisement message content depending on an estimated wait time of the individual in the virtual queues.   
     
     
         66 . A method for managing virtual queues adapted to correspond to actual queues, comprising:
 establishing a plurality of virtual queues on an electronic queue-managing system, the virtual queues adapted to correspond to actual queues;   establishing a bi-directional communication means with an individual who wants to enter, has entered, or has left the plurality of virtual queues;   matching the individual to a summoning location based on skills and/or resources needed by the individual and skills and/or resources available at each summoning location, wherein the matching comprises skipping individuals ahead in a queue whose requirements are not met by the resource available in favor of a first queued individual whose requirements are met; and   updating the virtual queues according to information received from the individual and information from the entity.   
     
     
         67 . The method of  claim 61 , further comprising
 keeping track of actual times and lengths of appointments; and   notifying the individuals from the first and second groups of a wait time based on past actual times and lengths of appointments.   
     
     
         68 . The method of  claim 61 , further comprising automatically scheduling the individuals from the second group given a first calendar of resource availability provided by the individuals from the second group, in an order requested by an individual from the second group or following an order in a queue. 
     
     
         69 . The method according to  claim 66 , wherein the individual is pre-summoned or notified by the electronic queue-managing system an amount of time selected by the individual or entity, earlier than a time they are forecast to reach front of the virtual queue. 
     
     
         70 . The method according to  claim 66 , wherein the electronic queue-managing system is adapted to send messages of an updated status of a particular virtual queue to the individual's mobile electronic device automatically, periodically, and/or in response to an individual's request, wherein the messages are text messages, voice messages or other electronic communications. 
     
     
         71 . The method according to  claim 66 , wherein the electronic queue-managing system is adapted to automatically send messages of updated status of a particular virtual queue to the individual's mobile electronic device when the wait time of the virtual queue changes by more than a given amount. 
     
     
         72 . The method according to  claim 66 , wherein the electronic queue-managing system considers travel time between one actual queue and another actual queue. 
     
     
         73 . The method according to  claim 61 , wherein the electronic queue-managing system automatically calculates and sends notifications of forecasted wait time to the individual, based on upcoming appointments. 
     
     
         74 . The method according to  claim 66 , wherein the electronic queue-managing system automatically summons the next party in the virtual queue when the individual is a no-show. 
     
     
         75 . The method of  claim 66 , wherein if an individual from the first group cancels the appointment, the electronic queue-managing system automatically advances, in the one or more virtual queues, individuals from the second group. 
     
     
         76 . The method of  claim 66 , wherein the electronic-queue managing system is adapted to respond to request by the individual for a status update of the individual's position in the virtual queue. 
     
     
         77 . The method of  claim 66 , wherein the electronic-queue managing system automatically stops accepting individuals from joining the virtual queue as a function of capacity and closing time. 
     
     
         78 . The method of  claim 66 , wherein the virtual queue is a telephonic queue comprising an ability to join the virtual queue from a communication medium selected from the group consisting of: telephone, text message, app, and web browser, and wherein the individual who has entered the virtual queue can hang up a telephone and still maintain a position in the virtual queue. 
     
     
         79 . The method of  claim 66 , wherein the electronic-queue managing system is adapted to maintain a predetermined fixed number of summoned individuals, whereby the number of summoned individuals are maintained according to the number of individuals that arrive, leave the queue, or become no-shows when the individual's turn expires.